Red, White, and Polka Dots: Neilson Powless Snags the Polka Dot Jersey
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For the first time since 2017, an American is wearing the polka dot jersey at the Tour de France.
After nabbing the five points on offer on the opening stage’s penultimate climb, EF Education-EasyPost rider Neilson Powless finished the day as the leader in the Tour’s coveted King of the Mountains competition.
As each of the day’s other four categorized climbs were won by four different riders, Powless’s five points were enough to land him in the polka dots at day’s end.
It wasn’t without contest, however, as team Intermarché-Circus-Wanty’s Georg Zimmermann took the fight to Powless. The German rider eventually lost the climb to the California native by half a bike length.
The peloton stayed mostly intact up the 2.7-mile Côte de Vivero, which averages 7.1 percent as it gains just over one-thousand feet. Powless launched his attack at the last possible moment, barely 100 meters from the top of the climb. Zimmermann, who was second wheel at the time, followed closely but couldn’t complete the pass.
The two traded pats on the back (one congratulatory, the other consoling) before Zimmermann banged his fist on his handlebars, knowing how close he was to wearing the inaugural polka dots in this year’s Tour.
Powless finished the stage in 46th place, eleven seconds and one place behind Zimmermann. He crossed the line 1:32 after UAE Team Emirates rider Adam Yates, who battled out the final few miles with his twin brother, Jayco-AlUla’s Simon Yates.
One of the race’s heavy favorites, Tadej Pogačar rounded out the podium, while his biggest threat, reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard was ninth. Both Pogačar and Vingegaard finished twelve seconds back from the stage winner.
After finishing last year’s Tour in thirteenth place, Powless was marked as one to watch in this year’s Tour, especially in the KOM competition. He had a strong spring, enjoying top tens in Paris-Nice, Milan-San Remo, and the Tour of Flanders.
Bicycling contributor and resident Tour de France prognosticator Whit Yost predicted Powless to be “a contender to win a Basque stage on the opening weekend.”
He’ll certainly have a shot to stay in the polka dots, if not win the stage tomorrow, as the day’s 130-mile parcours features five categorized climbs; two category fours, two category threes, and the stage’s final climb, a category two up the Jaizkibel.
If he’s near the front, look for Powless to attack on that last climb and perhaps try to solo to victory over the final five-and-a-half miles.
Nate Brown, then riding for Cannondale-Drapac, was the last American to wear the polka dots after nabbing the jersey in the third stage of the 2017 Tour. He wore it for one more stage.
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